


The Comment

by Nariva



Category: Detroit: Become Human (Video Game)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Attempt at Humor, Bad Writing, Comedy, Complete, Dad Hank Bitches On The Internet And Accidentally Causes The Strangest Revolution, Everybody Lives, Everyone Knows The Parent Voice, Gen, Hank Anderson & Connor Parent-Child Relationship, Hank Anderson Is Pissed At Elijah Kamski, Humans Are Also Weird, Humans are good, My First Work in This Fandom, Past Tense, Present Tense, Protective Parent Hank Anderson, Protectiveness, Short
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-02-28
Updated: 2020-05-10
Packaged: 2021-02-27 20:41:25
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 2,265
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22941940
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Nariva/pseuds/Nariva
Summary: Their visit to Elijah Kamski had done a real number on Connor and Hank was pissed. Happy that the boy hadn't killed Chloe, but pissed at that jackass billionaire. Still, said billionaire was a billionaire, so Hank settled for the most petty form of revenge he had.He wrote a YouTube comment.It changed everything.
Relationships: Hank Anderson & Connor
Comments: 42
Kudos: 251





	1. The Beginning

Hank sat back in his seat, glaring at his computer. Connor was hidden behind his own monitor, but he could hear the _clack clack clack_ of the kid's keyboard. He was still working on his own report to Cyberlife, a matter that would have usually been done in a few minutes. It had been longer than a few minutes. Hank had heard the very long pauses, and figured the kid was having difficulty with the whole, 'I'm sorry I didn't kill the other android' part of his report. The man closed his eyes and took a deep breath, slowly letting it out.

_Jackass_.

"I'm not a deviant," Connor had said, and Hank had heard the way his voice shivered a bit. Then later, "I just saw that girl's eyes, and I couldn't." The boy had even apologized, seemingly completely unaware of how his voice was shaking along with his hands. Hank had never been more proud of him in that moment, and that had let him hide how _mad_ he was. Not at Connor, kid had enough on his plate at the moment. And yeah, maybe he should edge off a bit, give him some room to breath after all that.

But Kamski. _Fucking asshole_. How _dare_ he force the kid into that type of a situation! Shoot and I'll answer a question, don't shoot and I'll show you the door. Asshole. Hank took another breath, trying to let it out slow. It came out as a hiss instead. Kill this person or I won't help you. Who did that to someone? To his k- the kid? He'd been too focused on getting him out before Kamski tried something else, but if he could go back in time he'd have decked the man. Ass. Hole. The rich asswipe had the nerve to get in the way of their investigation, to stress the boy out like that! Connor's hands had been shaking, he'd never seen the kid so blatantly distressed before. Scratch that then- he'd go back in time and deck the man, then kick him in the balls while he was down.

Hank cocked his head, listening to the sound of _clack clack clack_ as he considered if he could get back to Kamski's without Connor noticing his absence. The man sighed. The kid was sharp as a tack when he wanted to be - he'd notice and then start asking questions, and Hank wasn't sure if he was ready to tell him his real reasons for going back to thrash the former CEO. Hank wasn't even sure if _he_ was ready to face acknowledging it. And no, not ready, very much _not ready_. Fine, then, he'd stay. But there had to be something he could do to get back at the man. Kamski's stupid haircut had probably cost more than Hank's entire fucking wardrobe, but there had to be something. Not something big, because that'd draw Connor's attention and they'd be right back to the kid asking extremely personal questions that Hank _did not_ _want to answer_ , but... something. A way for Hank to say 'fucking piss off, jackass, you hurt my kid', while avoiding all the real trouble actually saying that to the jackass would bring.

The man sat back and thought about it for a long time. There was more _clack clack clacking_ from Connor's side of the desk. The boy was still typing when Hank finally made up his mind. Sitting forward in his seat, Hank went to YouTube. Damn, how long had been since he'd been on the site? Too long, he thought, searching for old Kamski interviews. He smiled when he found the one he wanted, some old three minute clip from back when the billionaire had been a fresh face in the industry. The newest comments were from several years ago. Smiling to himself, the man began typing.

Three long pauses from Connor later, Hank finished up his own message and entered it. He watched it drop down into the comments, then closed the video and his eyes as he listened to the kid type.

There. Done.


	2. The Spread

A college student going through old footage of Elijah for her report on him finds the comment a week later. She stares as it for one long moment, then sits back in her seat and laughs so hard she cries. Taking deep breaths, she screenshots the comment and posts it to her Facebook page, then goes back to laughing. Her dad comes in after a while and asks her what's happening. She wipes away tears as she shows him.

The post goes viral overnight.

* * *

Jeffrey Fowler takes a deep breath before sighing long and hard. Officer Wilson's email had been... _very_... impassioned. It had included an attachment with Hank's original comment. Fowler regrets reading it. He'd hoped that maybe, just maybe, they could sweep this under the rug. Play it off as some joker taking a strange shot at Kamski. And then he'd opened the file and read it. All of his hopes had gone up in flames. The words, the form of writing, all of it had just screamed Hank. He could practically hear the man speaking those sentences, all righteous indignation and anger. So much for passing it off as anyone else but him. It's spread too far, too quick - he's honestly surprised the calls haven't started coming in yet. They will. He knows the paparazzi, they're going to be all over this like flies on fresh shit.

He rolls his chair to the side, looking out through the glass to watch Hank and Connor. The detective gets up from his seat and the android immediately hops up, following after him like some kind of robotic duckling. Damn it. He pinches the bridge of his nose and sighs. Android, he reminds himself. Not a baby duck, not a person, an android. An android that CyberLife had made look like a young man, and - Fowler watches as Gavin crosses their path, can practically see Hank puff out angrily protective feathers when Connor speeds up to keep him between the android and Gavin. Both men share sneers, the other detective continuing on as Hank leads Connor out of the room, the android following close on his heels. Fowler sighs, rolls back over to his desk. He reads the post again. Kamski had tried to make the kid shoot someone. That someone had been another android, sure, but it sits wrong with him somehow. It hadn't been... right... to put him in that kind of a situation. Connor hadn't shot the other android, and Kamski hadn't shared his information.

Wait.

Hadn't shared his information.

Fowler sits back, a slow smile spreading across his face as he considers his options. He reaches out, picks up his phone, and begins to dial.

* * *

Elijah stares at the dark window of the interrogation room, certain that his lawyers are doing everything in their power to get him released. He... had never thought he'd end up here. Never thought beyond the androids and CyberLife. Never thought of the people. He should have, Elijah thinks to himself. In all his focus on the evolution of machinery, he'd forgotten the human aspect behind it all. The androids had only recently begun to have deviations, fits of conflicting emotions, but humanity? They'd been doing it since the dawn of time. He chuckles at the thought, sitting back to smile as Captain Fowler enters the room. He'd become so focused on the androids that he'd forgotten to consider the humans.

* * *

The comment spreads like wildfire across the internet. Teens make videos of themselves trying to read the comment without laughing. Others make reactions to and compilations of these attempts. It pushes it further, finally spreading to the adults as they become curious enough to track down the original post in an attempt to understand this strange new challenge. Most of these adults are parents. Most of them don't laugh when they read it. Most of them understand the rage behind it. They connect to the 'you bullied my kid, you asshole' tone because they've used it in the past when others messed with their own children. This newfound common ground does something that will change the face of the world.

It makes one man and one android relatable.

People may not understand the particulars, or even know the faces of the people and machines involved, but everyone recognizes the tone. The comment goes through translations, flying across the seas to other continents. Some of the words change, some of the sentences are rearranged, but the message resonates across all language barriers. And then the world gets their collective hands on a picture of Hank and Connor together - the internet promptly goes bananas. The android looks so young! Those two really do look like father and son!

The picture and the comment are paired together and people love it. After the intense love, however, comes the thoughts. Children, teens, and adults begin to look at the androids in their lives and ask themselves, "what would I do if someone tried to make them do something bad? What would I do if that upset them?" For a considerable amount, this triggers the knee jerk reaction of _no_. Their androids helped watch the kids, did grocery runs, walked the dogs. They don't want to see them upset, not like what the detective had described. And so they look at the androids, and the androids look back.

* * *

A reporter for the local Detroit newsletter reaches out. Fowler regrets being right as he calls Hank and Connor into his office.


	3. The Interview

Hank wants to sink through the goddamn floor. He avoids looking at anyone as he shifts in his seat, nervously readjusting his tie as Connor finishes answering the news host's latest question. He doesn't even know what the man had asked, far too focused on silently panicking as they near the subject he knows the other human wants to get to. Fuck me, he thinks to himself, why'd he have to go and post that comment!? No one was ever supposed to have seen it! Why did life hate him this much?

"Now, Detective Anderson," the handsome man begins as he turns to Hank, and fuck he can _hear_ the growing expectation in his voice, "as you know, people across the world have read your comment in a multitude of ways. We've gotten some pretty funny versions," he says with a chuckle, "but now that we have you on, I know my audience would love to hear it how you intended to to be read." No one was supposed to read it, Hank wants to yell at them, but he forces a smile as the host shuffles through his papers and pulls out a page. Accepting it, the detective flips it over and looks at his own words. _Idiot_.

He should've just complained to Sumo after the visit and called it a day. At least his dog wouldn't have him up in front of an audience, seated beside the absolute last person he'd want to read this in front of. Hank shifts in his seat, glancing at Connor. The android gives him a reassuring smile, and Hank swallows, clears his throat as he looks back at the paper. For a second he contemplates walking out, but the thought of how Fowler would react to that just barely stops him. Damn it. _Damn it_. He swallows again, throat clicking, and looks at Connor. Earnest brown eyes meet his. Fine, fine! He looks down at the paper, thinking back to how mad he'd been at that rich jackass. Feeling the fire again, Hank takes a breath and begins to read.

"Dear Elijah _fucking_ Kamski..."


	4. Appreciation

Hank hates his life. He hates his stupid couch that they're sitting on and he hates the way Connor's looking at him. The kid clearly wants to talk. Hank doesn't want to. Things have been hectic enough with the sudden surge of pro android rights activists (he'd seen some coverage of their marches - people and androids side by side, chanting and holding signs. Sometimes the signs have his and Connor's faces on them. Sometimes their chants are quotes taken from his comment. Goddammit, he should've never written it.)

He groans at the thought of it, flopping back against the cushions as Connor quietly clears his throat. Hank closes his eyes. Fuck it, might as well just face this head on.

"What is it, Connor?" he asks, turning to look at the android.

"Your comment," he hesitantly starts, "I... I've had time to fully process it." Process. Hank almost snorts - Connor's got such a weird way with words.

"And?" The older man tries not to shift in nervousness on the couch, opening his eyes to look at the kid.

"I..." Connor looks down at the cushions, clasping his hands in his lap. "I... appreciate it, Detective Anderson. It was... nice of you to say those things." Hank clears his throat.

"Yeah, sure," he says. "I mean," he shrugs, "the guy was being an asshole, what else was I supposed to do?" The kid smiles at that, just full on beams at him and Hank has to look away. Thank God the android goes back to watching the TV, apparently content to leave it at that for now. Heh, for now. He's going to want to say more when the time's right, Hank _knows_ he's going to have more to say, but they'll cross that bridge when they get there. For now, he's just happy to sit on the couch with his kid and watch the news.


End file.
